Before choosing an AI video tool, break down the video you want to make. Take a hypothetical coffee ad: you could generate a shot of rising steam, keep the original trademark on the cup, and add the offer as text while editing. You may only need a few generated seconds, joined to material you already have.
For new shots, start by comparing Runway and Flow; include Firefly if you already use Adobe tools. If you have recorded footage and want a different background, you need video editing. For a presenter reading a training script, compare Synthesia and HeyGen directly. Keep real assets for product details that must be exact, and limit generation to backgrounds or shots without essential text.
If you need a world to explore interactively rather than a video to watch, see our Genie 4 and Project Genie access guide.
Functions, limits and plans were checked against official sources on October 15, 2026; Pika's commercial-license coverage, top-up credit scope and the Synthesia annual prices below were rechecked on October 23, 2026. The storyboards and budgets here are hypothetical examples. We have not run a common set of inputs to compare image quality, speed or consistency.
Start with the material you have
| Your material and task | Main tools to compare | What changes the choice |
|---|---|---|
| A script or image for a new shot | Runway, Google Flow, Adobe Firefly | Model duration, aspect ratio and reference inputs; options can differ between apps using the same model |
| Recorded footage needing a new background or a local edit | Runway Edit Studio, Luma Dream Machine, Gemini Omni in Flow | Runway accepts editing sequences up to 30 seconds; Luma accepts up to 10; Flow edits a selected segment up to 10 seconds |
| A longer single clip or mixed image, video and audio references | Seedance 2.5 in Jimeng, Wan | Both publish a 30-second maximum; web access, specific inputs and API billing have separate conditions |
| A script for training, explanation or translated speech | Synthesia, HeyGen | Script length, pronunciation, revisions and the ability to download the required file |
Older Sora API tutorials no longer provide a route for a new project. OpenAI's deprecation record lists September 24, 2026 as the shutdown date for the Videos API and Sora 2 models.
Choosing between Runway, Flow and Firefly
Firefly also offers Runway Gen-4.5. That makes “Runway or Firefly?” a more specific question: are you comparing a generation model, or the application where you keep assets, set parameters and carry on editing?
For Gen-4.5, Runway's native web app supports text-to-video and image-to-video, durations of 2–10 seconds, and ordinary output at 720p. Firefly's instructions list 5, 8 or 10 seconds for the same model. For a two-second shot, the native duration setting is a closer fit. Generating five seconds in Firefly and trimming it is another option, with the generated length included in the credit budget. See the Runway Gen-4.5 guide and Adobe's partner-model instructions.
Firefly also brings multiple models and further editing into one application. Open Video → Generate video → Model to see the Adobe and partner models available to your account; Firefly has a video editor too. If your design assets are already there, try what the existing account can do before adding a subscription elsewhere. Video and partner models use credits, the free plan limits daily generations, and paid options are listed in the Firefly plans. Regional access, account conditions and partner terms are covered in Adobe's access documentation.
Flow offers Veo and Gemini Omni. Multi-reference generation is available in Veo 3.1 Lite and Fast, while Veo 3.1 Quality does not support Ingredients/References to Video. With several product images, choose a model by its reference mode rather than the Lite, Fast or Quality label. See Flow's model and feature table.
For arranging several generated clips within a project, Flow's Scenebuilder can sequence, trim and download a scene. Existing Adobe users can begin with Firefly; for Runway generation and Aleph editing, try the corresponding operations in Runway. Put prepared assets through input, revision and download before choosing on the strength of a model list.
With recorded footage, ask whether you can edit the whole sequence
Suppose you have a 20-second recording and want to turn its summer background into winter. Runway Edit Studio accepts sequences up to 30 seconds at 1080p, so the recording fits as one editing sequence. Luma Ray3 Modify has a 10-second upload limit, requiring shorter pieces. Those pieces then need rejoining, with checks for changes in light, background and movement at the cut.
Runway uses Aleph 2.0 for this editing job, separately from Gen-4.5 generation. Edit Studio and Aleph 2.0 require a paid plan. The documented process is to upload footage, describe the edit, preview a reference frame, then apply the change across the sequence, including cuts. Use the shots and details you need to retain to test that process. Claims about preserving everything else still need checking against your output. See Edit Studio.
Luma belongs in the comparison when your clips are already within ten seconds, or can be split by shot, and you want keyframes or character references to guide the edit. Ray3 Modify requires a paid Dream Machine account. Upload limits and reference controls are published features; preservation of the actual person and movement needs an output check. See the Ray3 Modify FAQ.
Flow can edit uploaded footage too. Its documented path starts with Gemini Omni Flash: upload the footage, then select a segment of up to 10 seconds in the trimming window. This editing feature has regional restrictions. Being able to upload a longer video does not mean the whole file is edited at once. Extend is a separate function and currently only lengthens Veo-generated video, not phone recordings. See Flow's editing instructions.
After changing a background, inspect what was supposed to stay: the person's face, the cup's shape and the original movement. A suitable background with an altered subject has not completed the job.
When longer Seedance 2.5 and Wan clips are useful
If a shot needs someone to enter, sit down and pick something up, generation duration affects how much of that sequence can fit. For a five-second transition, a thirty-second maximum need not drive the purchase. Accepting your reference assets and offering a suitable short duration may matter more.
The Seedance 2.5 announcement, published on July 31, 2026, lists up to 30 seconds per generation, image/video/audio references and timestamp-directed editing. Prepare product images, movement footage and audio separately, then check which inputs the version available to you accepts.
ByteDance gives this path in Jimeng web: Video Generation → Seedance 2.5. Our Dreamina listing links to Chinese Jimeng; the same path does not establish availability for international Dreamina or CapCut. Developers use BytePlus ModelArk API under its own supported-market and billing conditions, described in the BytePlus announcement. Decide whether you need the web app or an API before buying a Jimeng plan.
The Wan site offers Wan 3.0, also advertising up to 30 seconds with mixed references. Long clips, 1080p and downloads in the web app depend on the Free, Pro and Premium plans. Web purchases apply only to create.wan.video; that balance cannot fund API calls. Programmatic batch generation uses Alibaba Cloud Model Studio. Its input, editing, extension and regional conditions are in the API guide, with separate billing by model, region and resolution.
A fifteen-second ad may only need six generated seconds
Return to the hypothetical coffee ad. You have an approved product image, the cup's trademark and packaging text must remain exact, and the final video should run fifteen seconds. One possible division is:
| Time | What the viewer needs to see | How to make it |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 seconds | The product and its trademark clearly | Use the original image or recording with a simple push-in during editing |
| 4–10 seconds | Steam, light or atmosphere | Generate a shot without essential trademarks or prices; if the product must appear, choose between reference generation and later compositing |
| 10–15 seconds | Product, offer and next action | Combine original assets with manually entered text |
Only the middle six seconds need generation credits in this storyboard. That fits the native Runway Gen-4.5 range of 2–10 seconds. Firefly lists 5, 8 or 10 seconds for Gen-4.5, so one option there is to generate eight and trim two. Both leave six seconds in the edit, but require different generated lengths. If the product must appear too, establish the image or reference mode and target aspect ratio together.
If the product must appear in a generated shot, Vidu's Reference to Video accepts 1–7 reference images, allowing a test with several product angles. With one image, Hailuo's image-to-video tool accepts a movement prompt. In Flow, use the first-frame or reference options supported by the selected model. See Vidu's reference-to-video page.
The number of references cannot replace inspection of the result. Check cup text, trademark, outline and color separately. If an essential detail changes, composite the original asset or revise the shot so the generated material does not carry that detail. The image-generation guide can help prepare references, but a correct product image does not need an AI replacement just to make use of AI.
For social creative work, Pika Labs is another option to test. The Kling app and PixVerse site provide other entry points. Complete comparable regional prices and account allowances were not available in this review; confirmed Pika monthly prices and commercial-license differences are listed below.
Compare Synthesia and HeyGen with a training script
For a presenter video, the job is to speak the script accurately, accommodate revisions and export the required file. Give Synthesia and HeyGen the same short script containing names, product terms and specialist vocabulary. That is closer to your task than watching unrelated promotional examples in different languages. Have a speaker of the target language review the actual pronunciation and captions.
HeyGen's free plan allows three videos per month, up to one minute each. For a three-minute training video, a one-minute sample can test the delivery but does not establish that the free plan covers the job. Creator costs $29/month with 1080p export; Pro costs $49/month with 4K export. If delivery requires 1080p, check Creator's other features and allowance before upgrading for resolution. See HeyGen pricing.
Synthesia Basic lists 10 monthly minutes of video/dubbing plus 500 credits, as separate allowances. Starter's paid features include downloads and removal of the Synthesia logo, so a free creation trial and a file you can deliver need separate checks. The current annual page lists Starter at $14/month equivalent and Pro at $59/month equivalent, with annual billing required. The former Creator plan was renamed Pro on October 1, 2026. See Synthesia pricing and the plan changes.
A test script can include a product name in another language, a number and a long sentence needing a pause. Check pronunciation, caption breaks and lip movement, then change one word and regenerate to see whether the revision process suits regular updates. For product training, show the real interface with a screen recording and let the presenter explain it, rather than using generated footage as evidence of an actual operation.
Turn the monthly fee into a number of attempts
Runway Standard costs $15/month and includes 625 credits per month. That alone does not tell you whether it covers a video. Ordinary Gen-4.5 generation costs 12 credits per second, which gives a basis for budgeting. See plan pricing and the credit rules.
- One five-second clip: 5 × 12 = 60 credits.
- If all 625 credits go to that operation, they cover 10 complete attempts, leaving 25 credits.
- Hypothetically, three different five-second shots with three attempts each require nine generations: 9 × 60 = 540 credits.
- The coffee ad above only generates the middle six seconds: 6 × 12 = 72 credits per attempt, or 216 credits for three attempts.
These are billing calculations, without a generation test or an assumption that three attempts produce a usable clip. How many of nine outputs you can keep has to be established in practice. The calculation only covers ordinary 720p generation; image creation, editing, upscaling and audio need separate budget. Standard's monthly credits do not roll over, so unused credits are not long-term savings.
To compare actual spending, log every attempt for the same shot and divide total spending by the number of clips you keep. If none are usable, record that the trial produced no deliverable; do not record its cost as zero.
To turn those credits into a monthly budget and compare against subscriptions, the AI coding pricing comparison has usage-based monthly estimates.
Other confirmed public prices and billing periods are below. USD amounts may vary with region and tax; Runway's $12/month annual equivalent is a separate billing choice.
| Product | Public price and billing period | What to include in the choice |
|---|---|---|
| Pika Create | Starter $10/month; Creator $35/month | Starter and Creator both include a commercial license; Free does not. Also check the selected model's terms for client ads. Pricing |
| Synthesia | Starter $14/month equivalent; Pro $59/month equivalent, both billed annually | Check base minutes, credits and download permissions separately. Pricing |
| HeyGen | Creator $29/month; Pro $49/month | Model allowances and the need for 1080p or 4K export. Pricing |
Pika's free plan has no monthly credit allowance. Top-up credits work in Pika Create at pika.art and MCP at pika.art/mcp; they cannot be used with the API, iOS app or old.pika.art. See Pika's pricing and credit terms.
Flow's 50 daily credits do not accumulate into the next day, and free users may be unable to generate video at peak times. Its access requirements and credit page still differ on subscription requirements. Confirm age, region and available account functions first. Budget a trial using the available balance and the selected model's cost that day, rather than treating fifty a day as a monthly balance available whenever needed.
Download a trial clip and open it in your usual editor. Check aspect ratio, sound, captions, watermarks and the manual fixes still needed.